The Superman
Table of Contents
Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman—a rope over an abyss. It is:
- a dangerous crossing
- trembling and halting
- a bridge, not a destination
Man is lovable because he is OVER-GOING and DOWN-GOING.
I love:
- those that know not how to live except as down-goers, for they are the over-goers.
- the great despisers because they are the great adorers and arrows longing for the other shore.
- those who do not first seek a reason beyond the stars for going down and being sacrifices, but sacrifice themselves to the earth, that the earth of the Superman may hereafter arrive.
- him who liveth in order to know, and seeketh to know in order that the Superman may hereafter live. Thus seeketh he his own down-going.
- him who laboureth and inventeth, that he may build the house for the Superman, and prepare for him earth, animal, and plant: for thus seeketh he his own down-going.
- him who loveth his virtue: for virtue is the will to down-going, and an arrow of longing.
- him who reserveth no share of spirit for himself, but wanteth to be wholly the spirit of his virtue: thus walketh he as spirit over the bridge.
- him who maketh his virtue his inclination and destiny: thus, for the sake of his virtue, he is willing to live on, or live no more.
- him who desireth not too many virtues. One virtue is more of a virtue than two, because it is more of a knot for one’s destiny to cling to.
- him whose soul is lavish, who wanteth no thanks and doth not give back: for he always bestoweth, and desireth not to keep for himself.
- him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: “Am I a dishonest player?”—for he is willing to succumb.
- him who scattereth golden words in advance of his deeds, and always doeth more than he promiseth: for he seeketh his own down-going.
- him who justifieth the future ones, and redeemeth the past ones: for he is willing to succumb through the present ones.
- him who chasteneth his God, because he loveth his God: for he must succumb through the wrath of his God.
- him whose soul is deep even in the wounding, and may succumb through a small matter: thus goeth he willingly over the bridge.
- him whose soul is so overfull that he forgetteth himself, and all things are in him: thus all things become his down-going.
- him who is of a free spirit and a free heart: thus is his head only the bowels of his heart; his heart, however, causeth his down-going.
- all who are like heavy drops falling one by one out of the dark cloud that lowereth over man: they herald the coming of the lightning, and succumb as heralds.
- The people became silent.
They do not understand me. I am not the mouth for these ears. Must one first batter their ears, that they may learn to hear with their eyes? Must one clatter like kettledrums and penitential preachers? Or do they only believe the stammerer?
They have something whereof they are proud. What do they call it, that which maketh them proud? Culture, they call it; it distinguisheth them from the goatherds. They dislike, therefore, to hear of ‘contempt’ of themselves. So I will appeal to their pride.
I will speak unto them of the most contemptible thing: that, however, is THE LAST MAN!”
It is time for man to fix his goal and plant the germ of his highest hope. Man’s soil is rich enough for it. But in time, that soil will be poor and exhausted. No lofty tree will grow on it.
You must still have chaos to give birth to a dancing star. You have still chaos in you. There will come the time when man will no longer give birth to any star. There cometh the time of the most despicable man, who can no longer despise himself.
That is THE LAST MAN. He will ask:
What is love? What is creation? What is longing? What is a star?
The earth hath then become small, and on it there hoppeth the last man who maketh everything small. His species is ineradicable like that of the ground-flea; the last man liveth longest.
We have discovered happiness
They have left the regions where it is hard to live; for they need warmth. One still loveth one’s neighbour and rubbeth against him; for one needeth warmth.
Turning ill and being distrustful, they consider sinful: they walk warily. He is a fool who still stumbleth over stones or men!
A little poison now and then: that maketh pleasant dreams. And much poison at last for a pleasant death.
One still worketh, for work is a pastime. But one is careful lest the pastime should hurt one.
One no longer becometh poor or rich; both are too burdensome. Who still wanteth to rule? Who still wanteth to obey? Both are too burdensome.
No shepherd, and one herd! Every one wanteth the same; every one is equal: he who hath other sentiments goeth voluntarily into the madhouse.
[the subtlest of them] Formerly all the world was insane
They are clever and know all that hath happened: so there is no end to their raillery. People still fall out, but are soon reconciled—otherwise it spoileth their stomachs.
They have their little pleasures for the day, and their little pleasures for the night, but they have a regard for health.
We have discovered happiness
This ends the first discourse of Zarathustra as “The Prologue”.
At this point, the shouting of the people interrupted him.
“Give us this last man, O Zarathustra, make us into these last men! Then will we make thee a present of the Superman!”
Zarathustra, however, turned sad, and said to his heart:
They understand me not: I am not the mouth for these ears. Too long, perhaps, have I lived in the mountains; too much have I hearkened unto the brooks and trees: now do I speak unto them as unto the goatherds.
Calm is my soul, and clear, like the mountains in the morning. But they think me cold, and a mocker with terrible jests.
And now do they look at me and laugh: and while they laugh they hate me too. There is ice in their laughter.”
- The tightrope walker commenced his performance.
But he fell to the ground beside Zara.
The market-place and the people flew in horror.
Zarathustra, however, remained standing.
Dying man: “I knew long ago that the devil would trip me up. Now he draggeth me to hell: wilt thou prevent him?”
Zara: “There is no devil and no hell. Your soul will be dead even sooner than your body. Do not fear any longer!”
The man looked up distrustfully.
“If so, then I lose nothing when I lose my life. I am not much more than an animal which hath been taught to dance by blows and scanty fare.”
Zara: “Not at all you have made danger your calling. That is not contemptible. You perish by your own calling. So I will bury thee with mine own hands.”
When Zarathustra had said this the dying one did not reply further; but he moved his hand as if he sought the hand of Zarathustra in gratitude.